Day 1 of the NFL draft is in the books and day 2 looms tonight. From a pure recap and review stand point the new draft format works a whole lot better. You can spend all day analyzing the first round picks and then move on to what will happen on Friday night in Rounds 2 and 3. Here’s a look at what I liked and didn’t like on Day 1:

The Pats got aggressive in order to acquire the uber-versatile Hightower

I LIKED: The Patriots’ aggressiveness in Round 1. Their swindling pick system became obsolete with the new draft rules and so instead of finding trade partners to kick the ball down the road they reversed course and aggressively pursued their targets by trading up. They got two good young defensive guys to add to their front 7 although I seem to be in the minority in liking the Hightower pick more than the Jones pick. You just don’t find that versatility that Hightower possesses often.

I DIDN’T LIKE: The pick of Ryan Tannehill from a football standpoint. I get why they did it and I can’t honestly say that I wouldn’t have done it if I were in their shoes but this guy just doesn’t do it for me. If he doesn’t pan out then it could set your franchise back for years. Is it worth it to get a few months worth of fan support? It certainly is desperately needed after the failures by Stephen Ross to woe coaches and quarterbacks to Miami. The only benefit of the doubt I will give them in that Mike Sherman, who was Tannehill’s college coach, is now the Offensive Coordinator in Miami so that may help Tannehill’s transition.

South Carolina CB Stephon Gilmore fit the Bill for Buddy Nix and co.

I LIKED: Buddy Nix staying true to his draft board again and not reaching for need. The Bills need a WR and LT the most but since they had Michael Floyd off of their board due to character issues there was no guy at those positions worth the #10 pick. It happens every year…two years ago it was Jimmy Clausen and Bryan Bulaga. If they took either one of those guys then they would still be looking at trying to find a QB and a LT since Clausen sucks and Bulaga plays the right side. Gilmore should be a great player in time and will get veteran leadership from Drayton Florence and Terrence McGee in the meantime.

I DIDN’T LIKE: The Jets picking Quinton Coples over Melvin Ingram, Chandler Jones, or even Courtney Upshaw. Coples was seen as a top 10 pick during the college season but attitude and effort issues dropped him down the board. He also seems big to play OLB in the 3-4 which is what the Jets needed. The Ingram pass is the biggest mystery to me because I think Ingram is going to be a real player in the future. I can’t fault them too much for passing on Upshaw because everyone else did too but I still think he’ll be a player in the right situation.

NON AFC EAST THINGS I LIKED ABOUT THE DRAFT LAST NIGHT: Loved Pittsburgh’s pick of David Decastro at #24, best pick of the night in my opinion. Just a perfect fit and there may not be a guy in the draft set up to contribute right away than DeCastro. Dallas made out by moving up to get Morris Claiborne at #6. Dre Kirkpatrick could be a steal for the Bengals if he pans out, his arrest helped Cincy with that one. They also got a good player in guard Kevin Zeitler with their 2nd 1st rounder. I think Melvin Ingram was a steal for San Diego at #18 as well.

I didn't like the Poe pick before he got up to the podium...

NON AFC EAST THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: I’m not sure about Dontari Poe going #11 to the Chiefs. Even factoring the systems I liked Fletcher Cox and Michael Brockers better. Whitney Mercilus was a one year wonder so Houston going with him was a bit of a surprise. I didn’t like the AJ Jenkins to San Fransisco pick although there is room for him to develop behind Moss and Manningham.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR TONIGHT: What’s interesting is that the 3 AFC East teams that didn’t make the playoffs all have the same needs going into tonight. The Bills, Jets and Dolphins all need receivers and offensive tackles. The Pats have multiple picks and still need help in the secondary and could use some offensive line depth but they can add it anywhere, don’t necessarily need a tackle. Buffalo is up 1st with the 9th pick of Round 2 however any 1 of the other 3 teams can move up. As you saw last night that’s not hard to do these days. There are plenty of wide receivers and tackles at the early stages of the 2nd round so look for a lot of action there. The 3rd round seems so far away at this point but I’m sure the teams will be looking for whatever they didn’t get in Round 2. I am not bold enough to mock the next two rounds especially after all the movement of last night.

I don’t know enough about all 32 teams and all of the 50 or so potential 1st round prospects to do a full 1st round mock draft but I follow all of the AFC East teams enough to know what they need, who they like, etc. So instead of trying to pick the 32 picks of the 1st round I will focus on the 5 that the AFC East teams currently hold. Here is my prediction for what happens tonight within the AFC East

Texas A&M QB Ryan Tannehill

8. Miami Dolphins – Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M -The Dolphins are desperate for a QB. They lost out on Peyton Manning and Matt Flynn this off-season. They desperately need a win in the PR column right now and that’s why they’ll reach by about 20 spots to take Texas A&M QB Ryan Tannehill. The problem the Dolphins have is that they hold the #8 pick in a draft where the two best quarterbacks are also the two best players. The drawback to taking Tannehill is that they have created so many holes in the off-season that they really need a guy who can come in and contribute right away. Tannehill will likely start the season playing behind Matt Moore, David Garrard, or both. It would probably be for the best as the Dolphins traded their best receiver and lost their starting right tackle to retirement. They are in year 1 of a rebuild and they can sit on their future franchise QB for a year while they build a team around him. The question that remains is whether or not Tannehill is a franchise guy. Some people feel strongly that he is and some feel strongly that he isn’t. He’s got a big arm but he lacks experience playing in NFL style systems. He hasn’t played the same competition that Andrew Luck played against at Stanford or Robert Griffin III played against at Baylor but Texas A&M is no slouch playing in the Big 12. I guess only time will tell whether or not he can be “the guy” for an NFL franchise. Back-up pick: Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame

South Carolina CB Stephon Gilmore

10. Buffalo Bills – Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina – The Bills upgraded their pass rush in the off-season and need a few more players at key positions. Left tackle, wide receiver, and cornerback are the three most glaring needs. The left tackle crop isn’t all that strong and the Bills could probably get a similar player at tackle at the 41 spot as they can at #10. They need a big wide receiver with speed opposite Stevie Johnson and Notre Dame WR Michael Floyd would seem to fit the bill but the Bills had not engaged much with Floyd in recent weeks and didn’t even bring him to Buffalo for a visit. That leaves cornerback. The Bills are also very high on Alabama safety Mark Barron but at this point he is flying up the boards and I doubt that he even makes it to #10. The Bills have two aging corners, Drayton Florence and Terrence McGee, and can put Gilmore with 2nd year player Aaron Williams and match them up on the outside for many years to come. They play in the AFC East with the pass happy New England Patriots and their secondary has struggled against Mark Sanchez of the Jets. Getting a ball-hawk could be enhanced if the additions of Mario Williams and Mark Anderson do what they are supposed to do up front and put pressure on the passer. Despite their interest in Barron they are deep at safety and adding Gilmore would give them a great deal of youth mixed with some veteran leadership in the secondary. It would not shock me to see the Bills trade down and try to grab and extra 2nd rounder so they can fill the LT, WR, and impact secondary guy all within the first 2 rounds. But if they stay put and make the pick at #10 my prediction is that Gilmore will be the guy. Back-up pick – Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College

South Carolina DE/OLB Melvin Ingram

16. New York Jets – Melvin Ingram, DE/OLB, South Carolina – The Jets have a few areas of need and are another team that has been rumored for a trade up but in the end I think they stay predictable and go for the pass rusher. Syracuse DE Chandler Jones is an intriguing option at this spot but I’m not sure that Jones projects well in the 3-4 scheme that Rex Ryan loves. Ingram has the skills to be a prototypical hybrid defensive end/linebacker. He is skilled at rushing the passer, which the Jets are looking for, and has the savvy to play in the Rex Ryan 3-4 defense. He’s got decent enough cover skills so that he won’t kill them but a match-up against a Gronkowski could be an issue. Still, the reason he would go here is his pass rush abilities and he has plenty of those. The Jets could use a receiver and Notre Dame’s Michael Floyd could still be in play but I doubt it. They could go secondary or they could go offensive line as well but at the end of the day I think the instincts of Rex Ryan win out and the Jets go and grab the pass rusher and put him with the outstanding trio of Bart Scott, David Harris, and Calvin Pace. It’s a safe pick and it makes the most sense. Back-up pick – Courtney Upshaw, DE/OLB, Alabama

Notre Dame S Harrison Smith

27. New England Patriots (from New Orleans Saints) – Harrison Smith, S, Notre Dame – I know that every Patriots fan in the world will be screaming for front 7, for someone to rush the passer but I don’t think it’s the pick here. Bill Belichick and his staff rarely do what you think they are going to do. I could see them trading this pick because it will have more value than the #31 pick but you’re probably not going to be able to get another 1st round pick next year for either pick so might as well use the higher one. The Pats biggest problem last year was in the secondary. They played poorly in pretty much all areas. They had no one at safety almost all year with Patrick Chung’s injury. Adding a player like Smith to the fold and assuming Chung can stay healthy for a season would make a huge weakness into a strength. The Pats still need help at corner as well but Smith may be a safer pick than the corners that will be left at the end of the 1st round. The Pats could go D-line here but I think that Belichick is weary about putting a rookie into his complex system, especially one that could be a 4-3 for several weeks then back to a 3-4 for another stretch. Smith is a versatile safety who could help with both the run and the pass. I just get the feeling that they are going secondary with this pick and in my opinion Smith is the best bet at this spot in the draft. Back-up pick – Nick Perry, DE, USC

31. New England Patriots – Trade down into the 2nd round. You know it’s coming. The Patriots love drafting players in the 2nd round and #31 is a prime spot for someone to move up 10 or so spots to get the player they want and Belichick will jump all over the opportunity. He’ll probably get more than he should for the pick too.

We’ll see how I do. If I am close enough maybe I will try the 2nd and 3rd rounds for tomorrow. Enjoy the draft.